Tori Spelling is looking back on her last conversation with Shannen Doherty.
ET confirmed that Doherty died on July 13 at the age of 53 following a years-long battle with cancer. On the latest episode of the 90210MG podcast, Spelling, 51, recalled her final conversation with her late Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star.
“I’ve had a lot of death in my life, and I don’t believe in regrets, but I have a lot of regrets that I didn’t have that time to have a second chance to get past stuff from the past and look at all the good things and really talk it out and have that last conversation,” Spelling told Jennie Garth and Amy Sugarman on the podcast episode aptly named “Remembering Shannen Doherty.”
She added, “I feel like she and I had that, and I’m super grateful for that.”
But it was difficult for Spelling to talk about Doherty. When asked how she was doing since Doherty’s passing, Spelling answered “not doing well.”
Even though Spelling doesn’t emotionally feel ready to speak about Doherty’s death, she said she wanted to anyway for the fans.
“For me, I honestly, as you know, didn’t want to do this,” she said. “I just emotionally didn’t feel ready. And I feel like I know a lot of people are speaking out and giving lovely tributes to her in her memory, but I just, oh, I obviously wanted to do this for the fans, so this episode is for them, not for us.”
Spelling said she initially struggled to wrap her head around what happened.
“I guess it was just that belief that she fought so hard and was such a warrior. And she has shown her entire life and career you’re everything that she can get past anything. So although we know the answer is so evil and takes everyone that we love, it just I don’t know,” she said. “I guess she made you believe that she was the one that would make it and she was so hopeful.”
Garth and Sugarman said they felt almost fearful after Doherty’s death, especially because former 90210 co-star Luke Perry died at the age of 52 in 2019 after suffering a stroke prior to filming the reboot. But Spelling didn’t question her mortality.
“I’ve spent my whole life living in fear, and I’ve always been a fearful person, and I didn’t feel fear at all when she passed,” she said. “I just felt sad. I felt sad for the second chapter she had, and I was so excited for that chapter for her and wanted her so badly to have that.”
In 1990, Doherty and Spelling scored their big break portraying Brenda Walsh and Donna Martin, respectively, on Beverly Hills, 90210. Despite low ratings in its inaugural season, 90210 eventually became one of the most popular shows of the ’90s and turned the cast of relative newcomers into certified stars.
Doherty and Spelling would later reprise their roles in the CW’s 90210 spinoff, which aired from 2008 to 2013. In 2019, the two starred in BH90210. The show featured original 90210 cast members Garth, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Gabrielle Carteris and Ian Ziering as heightened versions of themselves. It was canceled after one season.
“I’m replaying everything,” Spelling said on the podcast. “It’s all the memories not on camera that stay with me.”
She also recalled an early scene she had with Doherty and Garth. It was a night scene set at Marianne Moore’s party at her Beverly Hills home while her parents were away.
“That’s the one that sticks out to me,” Spelling said. “Maybe it wasn’t our first scene, but it was the first time I remember the three of us really bonding and me thinking like, we’re all gonna be friends, like this is more than just being on camera.”
She continued, “I was hopeful to fit in with you guys, and you both were so accepting of me. Yeah, I remember that night us just laughing. I mean, we filmed all night until the sun came up, which was a lot for teenagers, you know. It wasn’t- As adults, like now we’re hardened to the process of filming all night, we’re just so used to it. But back then, it was a lot.”
When news of Doherty’s death broke, she was remembered by many friends and co-stars, including David Arquette, Holly Marie Combs, Lisanne Falk and Sarah Michelle Gellar. At the time, Spelling paid tribute to Doherty on her Instagram Story.
Spelling later posted a lengthy message to her late co-star in an Instagram post.
“F**k them… is what Shan would say if I told her I felt pressure to have to summarize via social media a 36 year relationship and the grief I feel for a fire who’s flame went out too soon,” she wrote. “I was 15 when Shan and I met. I was the boss’s daughter with no voice and she was the star with a big voice. She took me under her wing. She gave me the belief I had a voice and was worthy. We became fast best friends.”
“We were each others wing women, true confidantes, support systems navigating bad relationships, roomates of sorts at times, travel buddies, and so much more. She always stuck up for me. Always had my back. Always believed in me when I didn’t or couldn’t believe in myself. We were young. We let a lot of outside and inside influences influence our friendship. In a world where we often don’t get to make up with the childhood friendships that formed so much of the adult you become, we got that chance. I’m grateful @theshando and I got to go back in time as adult friends and remember why we truly loved each other to begin with. To reminisce. And, to iconically laugh again like we used to. No one could make me laugh like that. Core laughs!”
“She was a rebel in an era when most women didn’t feel comfortable being strong. She never tried she just was. She empowered sexiness, strength, 2 f**ks given, empathy, and all topped off with wicked humor! Her sardonic humor was one of my faves. And, no one made a frito pie like Shan!” Spelling concluded. “Shan… I’ll carry the torch on. Take on my power! And, I’ll stay rebellious for you. Love you with all my heart. Always. 🖤💔.”
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